Green Building

Constructing and operating buildings requires energy, water, and materials and creates significant amounts of waste. Where and how they are built affects the ecosystems around us in countless ways. And the buildings themselves create new indoor environments that present new environmental problems and challenges.

As the environmental impact of buildings becomes more apparent, a new field called green building is arising to reduce that impact at the source. Green or sustainable building is the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition. This section of the compliance center will provide links to green building activities and related documents covering various topics, such as:

• Energy: Designing and operating buildings to use energy efficiently and to use renewable sources of energy, including solar, wind, and biomass.

• Water: Designing and operating buildings to use water efficiently.

• Materials: Using building materials that, in comparison to competing brands, have a reduced effect on the environment throughout their life cycle (e.g. recycled content, low toxicity, energy efficiency, biodegradability, and/or durability).

• Waste: Reducing the waste from construction, remodeling, and demolition.

• Indoor Environment: Designing and operating buildings that are healthy for their occupants.